Water-meter.



W. H. SITTS.

WATER METER.

APPLIUATION FILED ML2, 1909.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.V

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Y W. H. SITTS.

WATER METER.

APPLICATION FILED JALZ, 1909.

932,502. n PatentedAug. 31, 1909.

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side of said meter.

WILLIAM H. SITTS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-METER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 3 l, 1909.

Application filed January 2, 1909. Serial N0. 70,414.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLTAM H. SITTs, a` citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVateiiMeters, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

My invention relates to the actuating mechanism for the registers of water meters, and its object is to absolutely rprevent the possibility of the indicating devices of the registers being rotated in the reverse direction to make the same indicate a less amount of water or other liquid than has passed through the meter, and its object is alsoto adapt my Aimproved register actuating mechanisin to any meter regardless of the measuring capacity of the immediate water driven members thereof, without necessitating a change of the gear either on the shaft of the water-wheel or turbine of the meter, or on the spindle of the units-iiidicator of the meter. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings F igure l is a side elevation of a water meter showing the upper portion thereof to which my improved register actuating devices are attached, in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the underside of said register and its actuating mechanism, removed from the meter, and drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the employment of smaller transmission gear. Fig. e is a similar view illustrating in a slightly exaggerated manner, the position of one of said gears, when an attempt is made to reverse the action of the registering devices. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the face of the indicating devices, showing the use of a templet for ascertaining what the position of the index hand or pointer would be, when the same has been removed by accident or design. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a broken away portion of said templet, and the outer end of the spindle of said index hand drawn to an exaggerated scale. Fig. 7 is'a vertical transverse section taken through the adjusting frame and block.A Fig. 8 is a plan View of the under- `In the 4drawings A represents a conventional water meter, and B the registering mechanism which is seated in the upper lextends centrally up through the bottom of case and has a small Oear c on its upper D end. This main-gear c meshes with a trans- .mission-gear I), that is journaled on the barrel of a screw CZ, whose screw-threaded end is tapped into a block E, which latter is adjustable longitudinally in the longitudinal slot c of a frame F and maintained in its adjusted position by tightening up said screw. Frame F is pivoted at its end farthest from main gear c by a screw f, which latter can be tighteiied'so as to assist in retaining said frame F in any position to which it may be adjusted.

Transmission gear D engages an idle-gear Gr journaled on a screw stud g, tapped into the end of a bell-crank frame 7L that is fuleruined at labout angle. Idle-gear Gr meshes with a gear J on the adjacent ond of the spindle l7' of the index hand of the units dial K, and is kept in engagement with the transmission gear D and the units-gear J, by means of a leaf-spring /c engaging the end of the bell-crank 7i, opposite gear G. Gear E can be removed from frame F and a larger or smaller gear substituted in its place. In Fig. S of the drawing gear D is smaller tha th" corresponding gear used in Fig. 2, and in order to keep said gear in constant mesh -with main gear c and idlegear Gr, I engage the serrated edge of frame F opposite gear G with al pivoted dog L.

AChanging the gear I) from a larOe to a b c. b

small one or vice versa, necessitates the adjustment of the axis of said gear farther from or nearer to the axes of gear o and G. This I accomplish by adjusting screw cl longitudinally in the slot of frame F, and by adjusting frame F on itsV pivot, which latter requires th changing of the point of contact of the dog L from one to the other of the teeth or serrations of the adjacent edge of frame F. A pawl M, Vwhich is, preferably, pivoted mediate its ends, engages the units-gear J and absolutely pre- -en`d oppositegear J, substantially as shown in the drawings. v

Pawl M absolutely prevents the reverse motion of the gear J, but, if vthe main gear.

c lis revolved in the wrong direction, the idle-gear Gr will be carried out of engagement with the units-gear J, and skip or ride over the teeth of the same, substantially as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

In order to prevent fraudulent tampering with the index hands of the dials on the face of the register the ends r of the spindle thereof, immediately back of where the said index hands are secured, are made of an acute isosceles triangular shape with the acute angle thereof pointing in the same direction as the pointed extremity of the said index hand. Then the said index hands have been removed, either accidently or othei'wise, l employ a templet T, the extremity of which is provided with a recess fr the sides of which correspond to the acute angle of the end r of the spindle, and

when this is done 1 fit said recessed endv upon the triangular shaped end of the spin-` die and the said templet will extend in the` same direction as the index hand would have extended had it remained 'in position,

ln order to thoroughly seal the case l) of theactuating mechanism for the register, and prevent the possibility of its being tampered with without detection, l close the bottom of said case by a suitable plate R, which, at points diametrically opposite each other, is, near its edge provided with suitable apertures or small openings down through which short lugs V, V, project. rl`hese lugs below the plane of said plate R are provided with openings therein, and a soft copper is threaded diametrically through the openings in said lugs. rlhe ends of this wire S are provided with lead knobs or balls, or suitable enlargements S, that prevent the wire 'from being accidentally withdrawn from said lugs. The central portion of this sealing is provided with a segmental curved portion so as'to enable it to make a detour around the shaft C. lWhen the case is sealed in'this manner any tampering with the case inclosing the actuating mechanism will be immediately discernible.

Vhat 1 claim as new is 1. A water meter comprising registering mechanism, a shaft for actuating the same, a gear thereon, a units spindle, a gear on said units spindle, a gear adjust-able toward and from said first mentioned gear, a yielding' bracket, and an idle-gear mountedon said bracket and engaging said adjustable gear and said units gear.

2. A water meter comprising registering mechanisim a shaft for actuating` the same,

a gear thereon, a units spindle, a gear on said units spindle revolnble in but one direction, a gear adjustable toward and from said first-mentioned gear, a yielding bracket, and an idle-gear mounted on said bracket and engaging said adjustable gear and said units gear.v l n '3. A water meter comprising registering mechanism, a shaft for actuating the same, a gear thereon, a units spindle, a gear on said units spindle, a gear adjustable toward and from said first mentioned gear, an idle gear engaging said adjustable gear and said units Vgear and a vibratory frame on which said idlegear is oui'naled.

t. A water meter comprising registering mechanism, a shaft for actuating the same, a gear thereon, a units spindle, a gear on the kunits spindle revoluble in but one direction,

a gear adjustable toward and from said lirst mentioned gear, an idle gear engaging said adjustable gear and said units gear, and a vibratory frame on which said idle gear is journaled.

5. A water meter comprising registering mechanism, la shaft for actuating the same, a main gear thereon, a units spindle, a gear on said units spindle, an idle gear engaging said units gear, a gear for transmitting the motion of the main gear to the idle gear, and

vmeans on the axis of said last mentioned gear whereby the saine may be adjusted to and from both the main gear and the idle gear.

6. A watei' meter comprising registering mechanism, a shaft for actuating the saine, a main gear thereon, a units spindle, a gear on said units spindle, an idle gear engaging said units gear, a vibratory frame on one end'of which saididle gear is journaled, a gear for transmitting the motion of the main gear to the idle gear, and means on the axis of said last mentioned gear whereby the saine may be adjusted to and from both the main gear and idle gear.

7. A water meter comprising registering mechanism, a shaft for actuating the same, a main gear thereon, a units spindle, a gear on said units spindle, an idle gear engaging said units gear, a gear for transmitting the Vmotion of the main gear to the idle gear, and

a Vframe in which said transmitting gear is adjustable longitudinally and which is pivoted at the end farthest from said mainA gear.

S. A water meter comprising Yregistering mechanism, a shaft for actuating the same, a main gear thereon, a units spindle, a gear on said units spindle, an idle gear engaging said units gear, a vibratory frame on one end of which said spindle is journaled, a gear for transmitting the motion of the main gear to the idle gear, and a frame in Which said transmitting gear is adjustable longitudinally and Which is pivoted at the end farthest from said main gear.

9. A Water meter comprising registering mechanism, a shaft for actuating the same, a main gear thereon, a units Spindle, a gear on said units spindle, an idle gear engaging said units gear, a vibratory frame on one end of Which said idle gear is journaled, a gear for j transmitting the motion of the main gear to the idle gear, a frame having a serrated longitudinal edge in which said transmitting gear is adjustable longitudinally and Which is pivoted at the end farthest from said main gear, and a dog for engaging the serrations on the edge of said frame.

10. In a Water meter the combination with a register, actuating mechanism therefor, 'a case inclosing the same having lugs depending from its lower edge having openings therein, a plate having apertures therein through which said lugs project, and a Wire threaded through the openings in said lugs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of December, A. D. 1908.

WILLIAM H. sirrs. [L Sg lVitnesses:

FRANK D. TI-roMAsoN, E. K. LUNDY. 

